Legends of the Shawangunk2 JR.pdf - Friends of the Sabbath ...

Massacre at Fantinekill 75
on either side at this stage of the action. The Indians bore off west, setting fire to the
woods as they went to avoid pursuit.
When the war-whoop was heard on the hills west of Napanock, and the soldiers were
seen leaving the place to go to Fantinekill, the women, children, and invalids made a
precipitate flight to the Shawangunk mountain, expecting the Indians would enter
Napanock and burn the place, which they could have done with ease. Two sons of
Andries Bevier, aged twelve and fourteen, ran across the mountain, through the burnt
woods, barefooted, a distance not less than five miles. They first came to the residence of
a Mr. Manse, on the east side of the mountain, then passed on to Shawangunk village,
and gave the alarm. Several members of Jacob Bevier’s family also made their way
through the woods; but some of the neighbors missed their way, got lost, and were all
night in the mountain, which was full of people from both sides, with horns, looking for
them. The small children, and those of the inhabitants that were feeble and infirm, went
only to the base of the declivity, and secreted themselves among the scraggy rocks,
especially along the sides of a noted defile known as “Louis Ravine.” In their flight they
were joined by the young black, Robert, who escaped from Fantinekill.
In fording the Rondout creek, a child of Andrew Bevier came near being swept down
with the current. He was caught by a friendly hand and helped ashore. When they
arrived at the foot of the mountain an invalid soldier climbed a tree to see if Napanock
was on fire. When he heard the sound of musketry he said he could distinguish the firing
of Cortland’s regiment from that of the Indians, because the former “fired by platoons.”
Towards night the men came to look for their families; but the women and children who
were in hiding, apprehending they might be Tories, gave no heed to their calls until they
were certain they were friends.
Mr. Jacob Bevier, of Napanock, was sick and unable to be moved. All the family had
fled across the mountain except an insane brother, who was sitting on the fence
unconscious of his danger, and a daughter who had resolved to remain with her father.
Jacob expostulated with her, saying that if the Indians came, she could not save him, and
in that case both must inevitably fall before the tomahawk and scalping-knife. Every
feeling of humanity and affection rose in opposition to the disinterested exhortations of a
tender father; but his sound reasoning and the instinct of self-preservation at length
prevailed, and she made her way for Old Shawangunk, and being more fortunate in
finding the path, she arrived first at the place of destination.
The noble conduct of Capt. Kortright on this occasion is worthy of record. As soon
as he heard of the affair at Fantinekill, without awaiting orders from his superior officer,
he directed his sergeant to order out his company, in all about seventy men, armed and
equipped with provisions for two days, and to report at his house next morning at
daylight. The summons was promptly obeyed, and the company was marched to
Grahamsville with a view of intercepting the Indians on their return from Fantinekill. He
selected a suitable